NZ Wine Event – REVIEW

Review by Darrel Kingham.

The annual NZ wine event took place on 16 October 2014 at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, Rosedale.

Having moved to Canada from New Zealand a few months ago and only been living in Toronto for a few weeks, my wife Melissa and I were in need of a night out and conversation with friendly people. It can be slow going building all new friendships and networks in another country, however as we found out it’s all a bit easier with Kia Ora.

We found out about Kia Ora Toronto a few days prior to the wine event and were not sure what to expect. How many people, will it be casual or snooty, were Kiwi’s actually going to be there??? But we figured what’s the harm, there is wine there…

As soon as we arrived we were blown away by the warm welcome and friendliness of the people. From the board members on the door to the very first conversations we had, the whole thing just felt familiar. Within a few minutes of being there we were engaged online casino in conversation, sharing stories and being invited to Hemingway’s for the monthly Kia Ora Toronto drinks.

All up I estimate there were about 70-90 Kiwi’s, Aussies and local entourage at the event. The wine ‘went down smooth’ and the wineries on display came from across New Zealand including some iconic brands. I want to thank Robert Ketchin from NZ Wines for bringing together such a good group of wineries. As well as tasty wine, guests (who chose to eat) were not left wanting. This year the wine was paired with an Island of antipasto platter including meats, cheeses and other assortments.

The event ran like a well oiled machine and not even the weather could put a dampener on the good times. Thanks to all the board members, volunteers and guests for making the annual NZ wine night such a fun night. I hope to see you all again this Wednesday night at Hemingway’s, especially if you are like me and are new to this (cold) part of the world.